Pakistanis go to polls as 20 killed in attacks

Pakistani women line up to enter a polling station and cast their ballots, on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, May 11, 2013. Pakistanis streamed to the polls Saturday to vote in a historic election pitting a cricket star-turned-politician against an unpopular incumbent and a two-time prime minister, but twin bombings killing nine people and wounding dozens underlined the dangers voters face. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
— AP

Pakistani women line up to enter a polling station and cast their ballots, on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, May 11, 2013. Pakistanis streamed to the polls Saturday to vote in a historic election pitting a cricket star-turned-politician against an unpopular incumbent and a two-time prime minister, but twin bombings killing nine people and wounding dozens underlined the dangers voters face. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
/ AP

A Pakistani man, who was injured in a bomb blast outside a polling station, is rushed to a hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan, Saturday, May 11, 2013. A bomb exploded outside a polling station, killing at least one person and wounding 10 others, said police officer Mukhtiar Khan in Peshawar. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad)— AP

A Pakistani man, who was injured in a bomb blast outside a polling station, is rushed to a hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan, Saturday, May 11, 2013. A bomb exploded outside a polling station, killing at least one person and wounding 10 others, said police officer Mukhtiar Khan in Peshawar. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad)
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A Pakistani election officer gets thumb impression of a voter on a ballot in Rawalpindi, Pakistan on Saturday, May 11, 2013. Defying the danger of militant attacks, Pakistanis streamed to the polls Saturday for a historic vote pitting a former cricket star against a two-time prime minister and an unpopular incumbent. But attacks that killed over a dozen people and wounded dozens more underlined the risks many people took just casting their ballots. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)— AP

A Pakistani election officer gets thumb impression of a voter on a ballot in Rawalpindi, Pakistan on Saturday, May 11, 2013. Defying the danger of militant attacks, Pakistanis streamed to the polls Saturday for a historic vote pitting a former cricket star against a two-time prime minister and an unpopular incumbent. But attacks that killed over a dozen people and wounded dozens more underlined the risks many people took just casting their ballots. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)
/ AP

Pakistan army soldiers patrol in Rawalpindi during elections in Rawalpindi, Pakistan on Saturday, May 11, 2013. Defying the danger of militant attacks, Pakistanis streamed to the polls Saturday for a historic vote pitting a former cricket star against a two-time prime minister and an unpopular incumbent. But attacks that killed more than a dozen people and wounded dozens more underlined the risks many people took just casting their ballots. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)— AP

Pakistan army soldiers patrol in Rawalpindi during elections in Rawalpindi, Pakistan on Saturday, May 11, 2013. Defying the danger of militant attacks, Pakistanis streamed to the polls Saturday for a historic vote pitting a former cricket star against a two-time prime minister and an unpopular incumbent. But attacks that killed more than a dozen people and wounded dozens more underlined the risks many people took just casting their ballots. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)
/ AP

A woman casts her ballot on Saturday, May 11, 2013 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Defying the danger of militant attacks, Pakistanis streamed to the polls Saturday for a historic vote pitting a former cricket star against a two-time prime minister and an unpopular incumbent. But attacks that killed several people and wounded dozens more underlined the risks many people took just casting their ballots. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)— AP

A woman casts her ballot on Saturday, May 11, 2013 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Defying the danger of militant attacks, Pakistanis streamed to the polls Saturday for a historic vote pitting a former cricket star against a two-time prime minister and an unpopular incumbent. But attacks that killed several people and wounded dozens more underlined the risks many people took just casting their ballots. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)
/ AP

Pakistanis gather at the site of a bomb blast at the offices of the Awami National Party in Karachi, Pakistan, Saturday, May 11, 2013. The blasts in the port city of Karachi targeted the political offices of the Awami National Party, one of three secular liberal parties that have been targeted by Taliban militants during the run-up to the election, said police officer Shabir Hussain. (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)— AP

Pakistanis gather at the site of a bomb blast at the offices of the Awami National Party in Karachi, Pakistan, Saturday, May 11, 2013. The blasts in the port city of Karachi targeted the political offices of the Awami National Party, one of three secular liberal parties that have been targeted by Taliban militants during the run-up to the election, said police officer Shabir Hussain. (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)
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Pakistani women voters wait outside a polling station to cast their votes in Rawalpindi, Pakistan on Saturday, May 11, 2013. Defying the danger of militant attacks, Pakistanis streamed to the polls Saturday for a historic vote pitting a former cricket star against a two-time prime minister and an unpopular incumbent. But attacks that killed several people and wounded dozens more underlined the risks many people took just casting their ballots. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)— AP

Pakistani women voters wait outside a polling station to cast their votes in Rawalpindi, Pakistan on Saturday, May 11, 2013. Defying the danger of militant attacks, Pakistanis streamed to the polls Saturday for a historic vote pitting a former cricket star against a two-time prime minister and an unpopular incumbent. But attacks that killed several people and wounded dozens more underlined the risks many people took just casting their ballots. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)
/ AP

A Pakistani woman casts her ballot at a polling station on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, May 11, 2013. Pakistanis streamed to the polls Saturday to vote in a historic election pitting a cricket star-turned-politician against an unpopular incumbent and a two-time prime minister, but twin bombings killing nine people and wounding dozens underlined the dangers voters face. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)— AP

A Pakistani woman casts her ballot at a polling station on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, May 11, 2013. Pakistanis streamed to the polls Saturday to vote in a historic election pitting a cricket star-turned-politician against an unpopular incumbent and a two-time prime minister, but twin bombings killing nine people and wounding dozens underlined the dangers voters face. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
/ AP

A Pakistani man comforts a family member next to the body of their relative who was killed in a bomb blast near a polling station on election day, at a hospital morgue in Karachi, Pakistan, Saturday, May 11, 2013. The blasts in the port city of Karachi targeted the political offices of the Awami National Party, one of three secular liberal parties that have been targeted by Taliban militants during the run-up to the election, said police officer Shabir Hussain. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)— AP

A Pakistani man comforts a family member next to the body of their relative who was killed in a bomb blast near a polling station on election day, at a hospital morgue in Karachi, Pakistan, Saturday, May 11, 2013. The blasts in the port city of Karachi targeted the political offices of the Awami National Party, one of three secular liberal parties that have been targeted by Taliban militants during the run-up to the election, said police officer Shabir Hussain. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)
/ AP

A Pakistani woman waits for transport after casting her ballot in Rawalpindi, Pakistan on Saturday, May 11, 2013. Defying the danger of militant attacks, Pakistanis streamed to the polls Saturday for a historic vote pitting a former cricket star against a two-time prime minister and an unpopular incumbent. But attacks that killed over a dozen people and wounded dozens more underlined the risks many people took just casting their ballots. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)— AP

A Pakistani woman waits for transport after casting her ballot in Rawalpindi, Pakistan on Saturday, May 11, 2013. Defying the danger of militant attacks, Pakistanis streamed to the polls Saturday for a historic vote pitting a former cricket star against a two-time prime minister and an unpopular incumbent. But attacks that killed over a dozen people and wounded dozens more underlined the risks many people took just casting their ballots. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)
/ AP

Pakistani women show their election ink-stained thumbs after casting their ballots at a polling station on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, May 11, 2013. Pakistanis streamed to the polls Saturday to vote in a historic election pitting a cricket star-turned-politician against an unpopular incumbent and a two-time prime minister, but twin bombings killing nine people and wounding dozens underlined the dangers voters face. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)— AP

Pakistani women show their election ink-stained thumbs after casting their ballots at a polling station on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, May 11, 2013. Pakistanis streamed to the polls Saturday to vote in a historic election pitting a cricket star-turned-politician against an unpopular incumbent and a two-time prime minister, but twin bombings killing nine people and wounding dozens underlined the dangers voters face. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
/ AP

ISLAMABAD 
Defying threats of violence, Pakistanis streamed to the polls Saturday for a historic vote pitting a former cricket star against a two-time prime minister and an unpopular incumbent. But militant attacks that killed 20 people underlined the risks many people took just casting their ballots.

The violence was a continuation of what has been a bloody election season, with more than 130 people killed in bombings and shootings. Some are calling this one of the deadliest votes in the country's history.

Despite the violence, many see the election - the country's first transition between an elected government fulfilling its term to another - as a key step to solidify civilian rule in a country that has experienced three military coups.

With the Pakistani Taliban threatening to target political parties in the vote, the government deployed an estimated 600,000 security personnel across the country to protect polling sites and voters.

Many Pakistanis seemed determined to cast their ballots despite the violence.

"Yes, there are fears. But what should we do?" said Ali Khan, who was waiting to vote in the northwestern city of Peshawar, where one of the blasts took place Saturday. "Either we sit in our house and let the terrorism go on, or we come out of our homes, cast our vote, and bring in a government that can solve this problem of terrorism."

That exuberance seemed to be widespread. The secretary of the election commission, Ahmed Khan, told reporters in Islamabad that he expected the turnout to be "massive."

The election is being watched closely by the United States, which relies on the nuclear-armed country for help fighting Islamic militants and negotiating an end to the war in neighboring Afghanistan.

This vote is notable for more than just the historic handoff of power from one civilian government to another.

The rise of former cricket star Imran Khan has reshaped the Pakistani political scene, challenging the stranglehold of the country's two main parties and making the outcome of the vote very hard to call.

The 60-year-old Khan is facing off against the Pakistan Muslim League-N, headed by two-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistan People's Party, led by President Asif Ali Zardari.

While Sharif has billed himself as the candidate of experience, Khan is trying to tap into the frustrations of millions of Pakistanis who want a change from the politicians who have dominated the nation's politics for years.

"I never voted for anyone in the past, but today my sons asked me to go to the polling station, and I am here to vote," said Mohammed Akbar in the northwestern city of Khar. "Imran Khan is promising to bring a good change, and we will support him."

Khan survived a horrific fall off a forklift during a campaign event Tuesday in the eastern city of Lahore that sent him to the hospital with three broken vertebrae and a broken rib. He is not believed to have voted Saturday because he couldn't travel to his polling place.